United Airlines Reaches Agreement with Mechanics Union, A Final Step to Labor Peace

Hot on the heels of the ratification of a contract with its flight attendants, United Airlines announced a tentative agreement with its 9,000 mechanics on Friday.

The agreement means it will be the first time that the Chicago-based airline will have labor contracts in place with all workgroups.

The agreement, once ratified, will “will set a new standard,” said David Bourne, director of the airline division of the Teamsters union.

Oscar Munoz, the airline’s CEO who recently returned to work after a heart transplant, was enthusiastic about the deal, saying it was “a great day” for the airline. “Each day we rely on our incredibly dedicated and professional technicians to keep us flying safely,” he said in a statement.

Both parties will work on finalizing the contract language and the tentative agreement will be submitted to the membership for a vote.

The news comes after members of the Association of Flight Attendants voted 53 percent in favor of a five-year contract that raises top pay rates by as much as 31%.

United had been unable to negotiate a joint flight-attendant contract since its October 2010 merger with Continental Airlines.

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